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1 in 10 U.S. Children Now Has ADHD, CDC Says

1 in 10 U.S. Children Now Has ADHD, CDC Says

11/22/13

FRIDAY, Nov. 22, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- One in every 10 U.S.
children has been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), but the steady rise in cases has started to slow,
a new government survey shows.

The 2011 poll of more than 95,000 parents showed that about 11
percent -- or about 6.4 million -- of children aged 4 to 17 had
been diagnosed with ADHD. That's up from a 2007 survey that found
that 9.5 percent of youngsters in that age group had an ADHD
diagnoses.

Nearly one in every five high-school age boys, and about one in
every 11 high school age girls, was reported by their parents as
being diagnosed with having ADHD, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention report found.

Numbers also varied widely between states, as well, with 15
percent of children in Arkansas and Kentucky reporting a history of
ADHD treatment, compared to just 4 percent of those in Nevada.

The number of children placed on ADHD medications -- which
include stimulants such as Ritalin or Concerta -- also rose by
about 1 million between 2003-04 and 2011-12, the CDC said. That
means that more than 3.5 million youngsters between the ages of 4
and 17 are now taking an ADHD drug.

The survey was published Nov. 22 in the
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry.

According to the survey, half of children with ADHD are
diagnosed with the disorder by the age of 6.

"This finding suggests that there are a large number of young children who could benefit from the early initiation of behavioral therapy, which is recommended as the first-line treatment for preschool children with ADHD," study author and CDC researcher Susanna Visser said in a journal news release.

Not every child with ADHD is getting proper treatment, the study
found. According to the survey, 18 percent of kids with ADHD had
not received either psychiatric counseling or drug therapy during
2011-2012.

"This finding raises concerns about whether these children and their families are receiving needed services," Dr. Michael Lu, senior administrator at the U.S. Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), said in the journal news release.

There was some good news from the survey, however. The CDC noted
that ADHD diagnoses among American children were rising at a rate
of about 6 percent a year in the mid-2000s, but that rate slowed to
4 percent a year from 2007 to 2011.

Visser told the
Associated Pressthat this slower rate of diagnoses might
reflect that doctors are closer to identifying most of the
youngsters with the disorder.

ADHD makes it difficult for kids to pay attention and control
impulsive behaviors. Treatments can include drugs, behavioral
therapy or both.

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.